The Lebanese Civil War was a 15-year conflict that took the lives of more than 130,000 people. Throughout the early…
The Art of Protocol
Understanding the rules of protocol is essential to conducting diplomacy, as any diplomat would attest. Everything from knowing how to…
The Tiananmen Square Massacre — June 4, 1989
The 1989 massacre at Tiananmen Square was one of the most heart-wrenching displays of state suppression of peaceful assembly in…
Back in the USSR — Life as a Student in Moscow in the 1960s
Grim. Tedious. Unrelentingly cold and dreary. Add in KGB surveillance and the fear that they truly were out to get…
“The U.S. values amateurism over professionalism in diplomacy”
Chas W. Freeman, Jr. is one of those rare diplomats with brilliant language abilities who also was involved in an…
Clare Booth Luce: Ambassador, Congresswoman, Playwright
Born in New York City in 1903, Clare Boothe Luce led a diverse career as a playwright, journalist, editor, and…
When Visa Officers Went Bad
Consular officers are often the face of the U.S. government overseas. They are the ones interviewing visa applicants, dealing with…
From The Bookshelf: Other Publications
Below we have provided a list of books that may be of interest to our readers and researchers that are…
Incoming! Surviving SCUD Attacks in Dhahran
Ken Stammerman was economic counselor in Kuwait from 1986 to 1987 before becoming consul general in Dhahran in 1989. Home…
President Johnson says: “I Want YOU to Get Me a New Shower Head”
Many stars are (in)famous for the lists of must-have items that are to be stocked backstage or in their hotel…